CHAPTER 268: ARE YOU SURE YOU ARE RELATED?

It wasn’t until late in the evening, long past dinner time, that Kade finally knocked on the inner door connecting their rooms. Vivi was already asleep, and Felix was lounging on the sofa with Remi resting on top of him, reading a book (one of the fox romances that looked the most innocent and tame, since he didn’t really have anything else to choose from), as he waited for the Alpha to pay him a visit.

"Come in," he said calmly, putting the book aside on the coffee table, and lifting himself up to sit properly. A good few hours had passed, and although his mind was still in a total disarray, he had been able to compose himself, at least outwardly. He didn’t want to let any of his emotions show, not until he heard what Kade had to say first...

The door opened, and Kade practically barged in. His black hair was damp and messy, and he was wearing just his bathrobe, loosely tied, leaving part of his muscular chest exposed... He walked over to the sofas, and threw himself on the one opposite Felix with a heavy sigh.

That was unexpected. Normally, he would try to get as close to the Omega as possible. Felix didn’t comment on it, though.

"How was your day?" Kade asked, sounding a bit defeated. There was a smell of whiskey mixed up with his natural sandalwood scent. It seemed that he had had a glass or two before coming here.

"It was fine, nothing special," Felix answered carefully. He didn’t know whether Cael had already told Kade about how they had eavesdropped on his conversation with Felix’s father...

But judging by Kade’s reaction, it seemed that he hadn’t. The Alpha just nodded his head absentmindedly, "That’s good..."

Felix waited for a moment to see if Kade was going to speak up on his own, and when the Alpha remained silent, just sitting on the sofa with his head hanging limply, he tried asking, "How about you? How was your day?"

"Ugh..." Kade only groaned in response, throwing his head back and covering his eyes with his hand, so Felix had to try again,

"You gave my father a tour around the pack house, right? How did it go?"

"...Right," Kade sighed. He paused for a minute, before suddenly asking, "Are you sure you two are related?"

"...What?"

"No, it’s just... No offense, but I can’t see how the two of you could possibly be related in any way!"

None taken. If anything, Felix found it rather pleasing to listen to, especially as Kade continued,

"Not only do you not look anything alike, but even your characters are way too different! You literally have nothing in common. You’re so great, while he... He’s absolutely insufferable!"

Felix lifted his brows. Although it was all nice to hear, to call his father, Wilder Embermane, ’insufferable’... was an odd way to put it. He understood where Kade was coming from, though. He was just as frustrated as he was, not quite knowing how to deal with the situation. His father was a difficult opponent in many aspects, especially since he knew at least some of Felix’s weaknesses... And that Felix seemed to be Kade’s weakness.

He picked up his cup, and took a sip of his herbal tea. "Why, did he say something to you?" he asked, acting casual, but at the same time, vigilantly observing Kade’s reactions.

Kade went silent once again, for much longer this time. Just as Felix thought that he wasn’t going to say anything though, he finally admitted, "Yeah, well... I took him out into the forest to have a chat in private."

"And...?" Felix stared at Kade expectantly.

"...I’m sorry. I might have messed it up."

"How so?"

"I... don’t know," Kade slumped down, hiding his face in both of his hands. "I don’t know what to do."

It was probably the first time that Felix had seen Kade so torn and defeated. He had been torn back when Felix had to try to bargain with him, offering the mermaid blood in exchange for breaking the bond and leaving him alone, and he had seemed (or, well, he HAD been. After all this time, Felix could no longer honestly deny that Kade’s affection towards him was genuine) distraught when Felix had told him that he would never accept him unless they broke their fated mate bond first... But back then, he was still stubborn and somewhat agitated, trying to bargain. Now, he looked more as if he had failed and was at a complete loss as to what to do...

Looking at the defeated Alpha, Felix hesitated. He originally was going to pretend that he didn’t know anything, to see how much of what had happened Kade would be willing to tell him... But now, it seemed a bit cruel. It didn’t seem like Kade was trying to hide anything from him, it was just that he didn’t know how to explain it to Felix, as he appeared to feel guilty about it. As if the way Felix’s father had tried to manipulate him was his fault...

Felix let out a heavy sigh. "I already know everything."

"...What?" Kade looked up, confused.

"I know everything. I’ve... been in the forest today as well. I have overheard your conversation with my father..."

"Wait, wait, hold on. You were there?" Kade interrupted.

"Yeah. With Cael..."

"Really? I couldn’t sense you at all..."

"We have concealed our scent by rolling in the mud. And we were also standing against the wind..."

"Ah, it makes sense," Kade nodded with understanding. He and Wilder had been in their human form, so their senses, while still superhuman, were not as sharp as Felix and Cael’s, who were in their wolf forms. If they had been careful and concealed themselves well, it wasn’t implausible for the two of them to eavesdrop without being found, especially with Cael, who knew the terrain well. "Just with Cael?" he just asked to confirm.

And when Felix confirmed with a short, "Yeah," he nodded his head once again. He wasn’t angry or anything. In fact, in a way, it made things easier. While he was embarrassed that his future cute little mate had witnessed his failure, at least it spared him from having to explain everything that happened...

It still didn’t solve the situation, though.